


Since Always

by mellyface



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, M/M, mostly fluff tho i think, realizing you love your best friend is cool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 05:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7702612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellyface/pseuds/mellyface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chiaki visits Kanata over summer break to watch some DVDs, but other stuff happens instead</p>
            </blockquote>





	Since Always

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe you're here after that horrible non-summary but I have to go watch a movie with my housemates now and I have like three minutes to upload this. Also it's un-beta'd/proofread for that same reason so I apologize if there's mistakes.  
> I love ChiaKana so I hope I could do them justice...these pure sweet boys...ahhh  
> Please enjoy!

Chiaki likes summer. It's the season of youth and adventure, after all—where friendship is taken to new levels and courage is put to the test, where boys become men and romances spark and anything can happen. Adventure is waiting if you're willing to reach for it. While the enduring heat may deter some from fully indulging in all the fun, it only gets Chiaki all the more fired up, like he could run laps up and down the sand on the beach, shouting freely from the top of his lungs. Summer is the best.

And the beach is the best part of summer, Chiaki will be the first to agree, but the _other_ best part is the new DVD of his favorite tokusatsu program that always comes out. And even though the heat cannot diminish Chiaki, the most blazing of spirits, one would still be hard pressed to get him out of the house on marathon day—that is, if he were not already on his way to Kanata’s place instead, DVDs in tow, to get him in on the fun as well.

It would be even more fun with everyone, he thinks, but it can't be helped. The first years are off on a summer trip and that's important too. He looks forward to seeing their bright faces come next practice, no doubt with deep tans and with as many fresh mosquito bites as new happy memories of friendship, youth, and victory.

Besides, it's been awhile since mom and dad have been able to spend some time alone with the kids out of the house. He chuckles fondly to himself.

Only Chiaki has barely rounded the corner of Kanata’s apartment complex when he finds a figure, soft and blue, flopped and limp on the pavement like a beached jellyfish. The bag of DVDs drops to the ground, never mind the clatter, as Chiaki rushes to Kanata’s side.

“Oi! Ryusei Blue!! Get ahold of yourself!”

While Kanata is certainly charmingly weird enough to be lying around face-down in places just for fun, that's not what this is, Chiaki just knows. Upon closer inspection, his friend is conscious at least. Chiaki picks him up easily and Kanata rolls over, a slippery blob of blubber in his arms.

“Oh, Chiaki…” The corner of his eyes turn up weakly, looking farther away than ever.

“I thought I'd go to the beach. Did you know it's really, really hot today?”

“Yeah,” Chiaki affirms, as if responding to Kanata’s mindless chatter will help keep him conscious or something.

His hand moves automatically to shield Kanata’s eyes from the sun's oppressive rays, which make his eyes glitter like crystals but also zap the watery life out of him. Sweat makes his hair stick to his forehead in damp patches, but he looks otherwise all-dried out. That’s no good, Chiaki thinks, hoisting the waiflike boy in his arms and tossing a pair of dead-weight arms over his shoulders. He tries not to panic as Kanata, whose skin is somehow always cool and damp like the sand below the tide, feels a hundred degrees where his cheek smushes up against Chiaki’s neck.

As an afterthought, he half-kneels half-squats to scoop up the handles of his fallen bag with an outstretched pinky, and Kanata sags against him. Mild panic manifests into strength Chiaki hadn’t really fully known he has until he hikes his arm up Kanata’s backside, supporting the boy’s full weight single-handedly and drapes him effortlessly over one shoulder. And up the stairs they go.

Chiaki is about to fumble through Kanata’s pockets for his keys before figuring what the heck, might as well try the door first. He isn’t all that surprised to find it unlocked—something he can’t really be bothered to scold Kanata on right now, but that's something he’ll worry about later. For now he focuses on getting off their shoes, nearly toppling over the genkan in all his haste to get Kanata _safe_ before remembering he’s still got something on his feet. Kanata's flip-flops plop off with an easy shake but it does take a little effort to shove out of his own sneakers without letting Kanata flop out of his arms as he seems so keen to do.

Chiaki’s first thought is that it’s sweltering hot, even for his own standards—somehow even more so in here than it is outside, if possible. Maybe it’s the lack of fresh air—he can’t even smell the sea in here, which is nonsensical for Kanata. Even if it’s been awhile since the last time he’s been here (and suddenly he realizes it _has_ been too long since the two of them have hung out alone, which is really the only time they come here), he can tell at least this much is wrong right away.

The second thing he notices is the mass accumulation of fuzzy aquarium mascot plushies and the like since his last visit. Many more than before. Cute as they may be, Chiaki’s eyes draw an obvious line from the bottom of the critter-stuffed shelf up to the ceiling where the air conditioner is mounted and, most importantly, completely suppressed by a wave of plushies. It’s no wonder it’s a million degrees in here when his AC can’t even budge enough to open properly under the weight of an army of velveteen sea creatures of various size and color.

I can fix that, Chiaki thinks. This is a small, easy job for a hero, not to mention one he has experience in as not only a hero but also as a tokusatsu fanboy who has done his fair share of room-decorating with not so much space and a whole lot of merchandise. But first thing’s first, and that's the issue of Kanata’s limp body currently burning up and sinking heavy against him.

He drags Kanata to the bathroom and moves to lay him in the tub, simultaneously turning the shower on lukewarm and sinking into relief as the blistering air around them starts to cool. Kanata slowly returns to life like a starved flower, clinging to Chiaki and all but dragging him down on top of him.

“Whoa, whoa there.”

It’s more of a laugh than an actual protest, though he is surprised, and obviously still concerned. But it's also kind of just nice that Kanata is hugging him, especially because it’s usually he who’s initiating hugs. It reminds him that he and Kanata are still just kids too, even if they're Mom and Dad, and everyone likes to be held.

“There, there,…” Chiaki musses his hair, happy to see Kanata's eyes flit open and a small smile bloom on his uncharacteristically flushed cheeks.

Kanata beams weakly beneath him and the fabric of his shirt slowly drinks up the water, wetness pooling and spreading throughout just as it seems to do on Kanata’s very skin.

“Ah. You saved me again.”

Chiaki isn't really sure what Kanata means by again but he likes the sound of saving someone. He sinks down on top of Kanata in sudden relief and bellows out a laugh.

“I'll save you over and over as many times as I’ve got to. I'll never let you go!”

It sounds a little dramatic for what's maybe only been a narrow encounter with heatstroke but it feels right to say it, and it's not untrue besides.

Kanata nods and, as if bits and pieces of him are slowly reviving one section at a time, his hands jerkily find their way to either side of Chiaki’s face. They rest there unhurried, like it's just where they belong, and Chiaki is content not to pay them so much mind.

“In the meantime let's get you out of these wet clothes.” It’s weird to be in the shower with clothes on, after all! Even if Kanata’s not exactly been brought in here to bathe, and never mind that Chiaki’s been dragged in with him and is now soaking wet himself.

“Then you can change into something dry and cool,” he says.

Only when he starts undoing Kanata’s shirt he feels suddenly really aware of how transparent the fabric has become—how it clings to his skin and he watches, transfixed, as a single bead of water drips from his chin, slides down his neck into the opened collar of his shirt. He falters, fingers going loose and clumsy against the buttons.

Chiaki is a late bloomer, maybe—no, undoubtedly—always more interested in action-packed, painfully g-rated hero fantasies rather than in anything sexual, but he's still a healthy, normal teenage boy. Or maybe not so normal, he thinks, if he's having a hard time swallowing the apparent lump that has decided to settle in his throat at the sight of his very good, very _male_ friend all wet and pretty under a running shower stream. Did Kanata ever have these kinds of thoughts?

“‘Chiaki.’”

Kanata’s looking up at him, soft and pliant. Chiaki’s name flowers sweetly on his tongue in that very marked way of his, still holding his face in his hands.

Chiaki smiles, feeling his chest settle.

If it's Kanata, anything's probably fine.

Water drips from Chiaki’s lightly mussed hair down the delicate curve of Kanata’s wrist, and Kanata stares at him with glassy green eyes, fixated, not even bothering to resist the water that's trickling over and into them and making his long eyelashes cling and clump together with crystalline beads. He seems more concerned with Chiaki at present.

“You've got water on you.”

Kanata laughs so purely, like this is his discovery alone that even Chiaki couldn't have known—never mind that he's just as wet. Chiaki opens his mouth to reply but the usual light-hearted, joking response isn't there. It's like he's fifteen again, shy and unsure and seeing Kanata for the first time like something out of a dream.

Kanata continues, sliding a long finger down the side of his cheek.

“It's bubbling out, _puka puka_ , here,” Kanata strokes the underside of his jaw with a single fingertip, Chiaki shivers, “and here,” he smoothes over his lower lip.

Chiaki closes his eyes but quickly opens them again because damn it, he's a man. And then their lips meet.

It's cramped in the tub and Kanata’s bony knees are jabbing awkwardly into his chest but Chiaki can hardly bring himself to care, not when he’s got Kanata’s mouth on his, soft and sweet like it just _fits_ there.

It's his first kiss but it honestly just feels like he's done it a hundred times already, not that it's any less enjoyable this way. Underwhelming isn't the word so much as comfortable, and simply _right_ , and immediately happiness and more relief are welling inside him—bubbling, just as Kanata says.

Even under the cool rush of water Kanata’s skin is still warm to the touch from having previously overheated, and his grip a little shaky. Chiaki, who would probably otherwise be a hundred times shier than Kanata about having his first kiss right now, is grateful if only because being able to coax Kanata through this gives him some sense of ground.

“You're okay,” Chiaki coos, wrapping his big warm hands around Kanata’s trembling, spindly fingers.

“Chiaki...it's so warm...it's too warm,” he says, cheeks flushed, but he keeps reaching for Chiaki as if it's even possible to get any closer, craving that warmth.

“You're okay,” Chiaki repeats and kisses Kanata’s cheek, cause it seems like the right thing to do.

Then he kisses his neck, the soft vulnerable stretch of skin just below his ear, and that's less because it seems right and more because of some other kind of instinct altogether.

The shower stream is cool and refreshing as it splashes onto him, but Chiaki can't shake the flush of heat nagging at the back of his neck. It flickers through his veins until it settles somewhere deep in his abdomen. Chiaki has never minded the heat but this is different, dizzying; he has to pull his mouth back from Kanata’s perfect, fragrant skin for a minute to regain his bearings, but not too far back. It’s like the world is spinning and he’s got to stay grounded to Kanata.

With a soft exhale he slumps forward, his forehead pressing to Kanata’s with a gentle smack, and bores into his eyes. Kanata places his hands flat on Chiaki’s cheeks, again like that's their natural resting place. He smiles breathlessly, which, yeah, makes Chiaki feel pretty out of breath, too.

“Chiaki, you're radiating heat like the sun.”

“Am I?”

“Mmhmm.” Kanata’s eyelashes are so, so long. Has he always smelled this good?

“On land, every day, you can see the hot, hot sun from wherever you are. But if Chiaki is the sun then it's good.”

“Then I'm the sun.”

Chiaki thinks like this he would gladly tell Kanata anything, would gladly agree to be anything he wanted.

Kanata's laugh bubbles up like a glittering stream.

“Mm, I wanna devour you.”

A chill drags up Chiaki’s spine, even though he's pretty sure Kanata doesn't actually intend to eat him (for one thing, that's not even possible, right?), but he finds himself nodding anyway. Kanata has always believed in him even when others hadn't, so it's only too easy to humor him anything he says. If it's Kanata, he can be eaten.

As if to prove his point, Kanata leans in and bites Chiaki’s cheek. It tickles, more than anything, and Chiaki laughs, but it only lasts a second before he's quiet again and staring hard at Kanata, heart thrumming and giddy with queasy anticipation. He feels wired and electric right down to his fingertips, which are splayed unnaturally wide on either side of Kanata like he's not sure where is safe to direct all that energy.

Kanata is staring back, eyes green and wet and a second later his lips are on Chiaki’s again. Water pools at the crown of Chiaki’s head, streams down the side of his face into his eyes until finally he has to close them, but even behind his eyelids he can feel Kanata still looking right at him. They kiss again and again, somewhat uneventfully—just savoring the feel of one another's lips without moving so much, until at last Chiaki has to pull back for air.

But when he lifts his chin and opens his mouth to breathe, two things happen: one, separating from Kanata causes water to trickle into his mouth and nose, and two, Kanata just sucks him back in and pushes his tongue between his lips.

It's not that it’s forceful so much as simply unexpected that causes Chiaki to jerk, slipping in the tub, but Kanatas spidery hands keep him mounted firmly in place on top of him. Kanata’s always been airy and delicate and never heavy to lift for all that Chiaki has jokingly protested otherwise (and suddenly Chiaki is aware, having done so not even fifteen minutes ago, of just how many times he's made excuses to carry or hold or excessively touch Kanata in the three years of their friendship and it all clicks so obviously like, _ah_ ) but Chiaki realizes now that Kanata is also pretty strong.

Kissing Kanata is probably what drowning feels like. It's like his head is filled with water and dizzying pressure, only it feels really really good. Kanata’s mouth is soft and wet and falls open against his so easily like he's going to fall apart any second. Sometimes Chiaki has this ridiculous notion that Kanata isn't human, like he isn't real, like Kanata is too soft, too light, too watery and cool to the touch, that someday he's gonna reach for him and just fall in with an empty splash and that will be the last of him. Only Kanata is the one reaching for him now, clinging to Chiaki with everything he's got.

“I'm not letting you go,” he says before he realizes it. It's meant as assurance but it sounds almost possessive when he's gripping Kanata this tightly. Maybe Chiaki does have one or two possessive bones in his body after all— _reeeally_ small ones—but Kanata is always telling him to be more selfish or he'll get mad, anyway.

Kanata responds with a heavy nod and a hum of gratitude, pushing his head forward to nose at Chiaki's neck. His wet hair clings to the other boy's skin, and he giggles quietly.

“Hehe, I'm like an octopus.” He brings his fingers up to Chiaki's neck and presses them in lightly on either side,“I wanna stick to you.”

Chiaki stills while Kanata continues to pass the pads his fingers all over him, as though pretending to suction to his skin like a real octopus.  

It tickles, Chiaki wants to say, but “tickles” isn't quite right when he feels this hot and his heart is going wild in his chest—and isn't this kind of erotic _,_ or something? Chiaki is the last person who would know anything about that, but he feels like it's got to be if the bizarre way Kanata is prodding at him and feeling him up like this has got him feeling jittery and weird and turned on. Yeah, he's definitely not normal.

“Kanata,” he breathes, surprising himself at how low and edgy his voice comes out. His breath puffs out between Kanata’s fingers as they spread across his face, wiggling, feeling. The cute suction-like sound-effects Kanata’s been making come to a halt.

And then, without thinking, Chiaki presses a kiss to Kanata’s opened palm. It’s not a chaste one, either, but a full, open-mouthed one, tongue dragging up the soft meat of his palm and dipping between his fingers.

“Ahh--”

Chiaki never gets the chance to feel embarrassed about what he’s just done, he can’t even _breathe_ correctly, let alone think, when Kanata has gone so wide-eyed and completely red and melted beneath him. The jittery sound he makes could almost be mistaken for distress if not for the way his fingers clamp down on Chiaki’s face, free hand fisting in the collar of his shirt and wringing it out.

“Chiakiiiii,” he croaks, like a malfunctioning robot, “My ‘chest’ is doing flips??”

He looks at Chiaki pleadingly, as if he has any better idea of what is happening between them. Leave it to Chiaki to find the only person at this school who’s even more pure than he is, but just as well, it forces him to rise to the occasion.

And he certainly is _standing up_ , now, if he wasn’t already.

“Heh, mine too.” He manages at least, and grabs Kanata to smooch him hard, emoting as much love and assurance as he possibly can into a single kiss. He can feel the thudding of their heartbeats as their chests press together, and he can feel something else further down that they both have in common, too.

“—and it’s hot,” Kanata continues after taking in a deep breath, “it’s really hot, especially my p—”

Chiaki booms, “K-Kanata!!”

Kanata falls silent— _thank god_ —and gazes up at Chiaki through heavy lids.

“...Yes?”

“Can I touch you?” Chiaki has to correct himself, as he’s already got his hands all over Kanata, “Like for real, I mean like sex and stuff.”

Kanata is quiet, contemplative, but the arousal hasn’t disappeared from his demeanor, so that’s encouraging. It’s like he’s just now connecting Chiaki’s proposition to the surging heat in his veins and between his thighs.

“Chiaki, do you want to have a baby with me?”

“Well, uh, we’re both guys so we can’t really do that... but I think I love you, so!”

Kanata blinks.

“Okay. I love Chiaki too.”

“Wait, what—” Chiaki leans up for a second, momentarily forgetting his boner. This is more important. “You do?”

Chiaki is so used to his ‘I love you’s going ignored that he’s not actually sure how to process this.

“Yeah, since always.” Kanata cocks his head to the side, hair dripping down his face, “I thought you knew...?”

“No...But that’s awesome!”

Chiaki laughs from the bottom of his heart, and Kanata’s own soft, bubbling laughter resounds with his until the sound fades and their lips just somehow find each other’s again.

 _Of course_ it would be this easy.

If there was enough space in the cramped bathtub to hug Kanata with all the strength he has, he would, but as it is they’re a tangle of bones so he just settles for running his hands up and down Kanata’s smooth, slippery arms, feeling out every sinewy muscle, the jut of his elbows and the curves of his wrists. Kanata slips his fingers in between Chiaki’s and folds their arms between them, draws their bodies as close together as possible, and Chiaki breathes out hard through his nose when their hips grind together. Oh yeah, he’d almost forgot.

With one last assuring squeeze of Kanata’s lovely hands in his own, he releases his grip to resume his forgotten endeavor of plucking open Kanata’s shirt. He casts his eyes down in between breathless kisses to survey his work, only to flush bright red at the soft pink of Kanata’s nipples through the translucent cloth of his wet shirt. He hadn’t meant to notice _that_ , but when Kanata is delicately wriggling his hips up against Chiaki’s, desperately seeking out any friction he can get, it’s probably okay, right?

He slips a hand under a fold and finds the skin is cool there. He feels out a rib, two, three, then brushes his thumb over a nipple. It’s already hard, but stiffens more under the press of his thumb and Chiaki feels himself redden like he’s done something inappropriate. The sigh Kanata emits says otherwise, however.

“Ahh, Chiakiii,” he croons, “Why is it so hot?”

Chiaki mouths at Kanata’s neck and shivers as cool water splashes down the back of his shirt—still he kinda understands what Kanata means. His free hand finds its way between them and tugs awkwardly, one-handedly at the front of Kanata’s shorts until the button comes loose. Kanata figures it out, luckily, and another set of hands move down to help Chiaki. It takes some fumbling and repositioning to get their bottoms off when there’s not a whole lot by way of leg room to share between them, but they make it work, and the first slide of Kanata’s dick against his, no matter how accidental, is amazing.

Chiaki’s eyes wrench shut—this is all a bit overwhelming to wrap his brain around for a guy who had honestly just come here to watch some superhero shows with his best buddy, but it doesn’t feel _wrong_ —in fact, it’s good, like, really, really good.

Kanata seems to agree with the noises he’s making, and Chiaki wills himself to open his eyes because damn it, it’s just Kanata, it’s not scary, and he really wants to see his face. And boy what a face.

Kanata’s skin is wet and pale and ethereal, but his cheeks are blotchy and pink and undeniably human, his lips are trembling, eyes searching, and Chiaki finds him.

“I’m here,” he mumbles, jittery with too much happiness, from feeling too good as he breathes hard and thrusts up against Kanata again.

“Chiaki,” Kanata moans softly beneath him, hips working just as hard. His eyes flutter open and closed and god it practically makes steam come out Chiaki’s ears to imagine (and he can’t help himself from doing so) how Kanata would react to doing other stuff if just this much has him utterly coming apart like this.

“It’s my ‘insides’...it’s like they’re boiling. Ah, Chiaki, I think I’m going to ‘melt’.”

Chiaki knows what that means. He takes them both in his hands, giving a few languid strokes before speeding up his movements; he drags his lips up Kanata’s neck, behind the shell of his ear and breathes, “Melt with me.”

He can be embarrassed about it later.

Kanata comes quietly but with such a spasm that it nearly gives Chiaki a heart attack, if not for his own orgasm quickly following and taking precedence. He flops on top of Kanata boneless, feeling for once like _he’s_ the big fish, and they lay there breathless for a moment with only the hissing of the water pipes and hush of falling water to fill the room.

Ah, yeah, he should probably turn that off. Chiaki flings up a heavy arm to smack the valve into place and it squeaks shut. And then Kanata’s panting beneath him is so much more apparent.

Kanata.

“Kanataaa,” he drawls, burying himself in the limp, blue thing that’s sagged beneath him. He doesn’t know what else to say, so he just basks, ear pressed to the boy’s heart which beats soft and steady like a ticking clock. Slowly a thick warmth spreads in the air around them, enveloping them. It feels nice right now while he’s chilled and wet, but he’s gonna have to get up and fix that air conditioner soon, isn’t he...and put on some pants, too, huh. Funny how everything feels so far away and unimportant right now when he’s got Kanata like this.

“Mmm,” Kanata hums sleepily beneath him, “That was good.”

“You’re good.” Chiaki counters, nosing Kanata’s chest. Kanatas bones are all digging in him again, but he doesn’t really mind. “Ah! I brought some DVDs!! That’s why I came here.”

“Okay, let’s watch them,” Kanata agrees easily.

Chiaki smiles; the thought of drying off and cuddling Kanata while watching tokusatsu sounds really nice right now, not that they didn’t cuddle before. He’s glad that nothing has to change. That they can still do this—they can do all the same stuff, just _even more_ stuff too.

And why shouldn’t it be that way, when he’s loved him since always.


End file.
